“Purple does something strange to me” said the German-American poet Charles Bukowski. Purple does something strange to me too.

Purple, whose aura began because of its rarity in nature and the expense of creating the dye, is often associated with spirituality, mystery, and magic – which is exactly why it became our brand color.

Alchimie (pronounced al-shee-mee) is the French word for Alchemy. And alchemy, is the medieval science that pre-dated chemistry. Part of alchemy was chemistry, part was magic. My sister Cyrille and I chose our brand name specifically because skin care is part science, and part mystery. (We also loved the fact that the alchemists were the first to look at plants as having healthful benefits). And we chose our brand color because of its association with magic.

The more I learn about purple, the more it continues to fascinate me. Apparently, I am not alone, as Ultra-Violet (a shade of purple) was chosen as the 2018 color of the year by Pantone.

Why is purple so special?

Purple is a non-spectral color, meaning it does not have its own wavelength of light – rather it is a composite color made or red and blue.

Purple is the color or royalty, nobility, luxury, power and ambition. “Born to the purple” means being born into a royal or noble family.

So next time you come across something purple, notice its magic. As one of the characters in Alice Walker’s The Color Purplesaid, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”